Don’t get excited for the Deadline

With the trade deadline coming next Wednesday, and the Leafs settled snugly into sixth place, the team’s status as either buyer or seller is still unclear. The team as presently assembled is not a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup, and no Jarome Iginla could change that fact. Compounding matters is that Dave Nonis has already iterated that the team is not going to sacrifice the youth movement filtering into the professional ranks of the club for the sake of the immediate future. So even if the Leafs were to be ‘in’ on Ryane Clowe, they’d be priced out of the running by teams like the Bruins or Ducks.

Another odd facet is that there have been precious few intra-conference trades, with the Penguins acquiring Brenden Morrow, Douglas Murray and Iginla from the Stars, Sharks and Flames. Even the Leafs’ housekeeping moves saw Mike Brown, David Steckel and Matthew Lombardi head to Western Conference teams. Conference-wide parity being what it is, teams appear loathe to help any direct rivals. That same parity is also dampening much trade talk, as even 11-seeds could get hot and sneak into the playoffs.

Until or unless Nonis is willing to throw caution to the wind and part with real pieces, don’t get excited for the deadline.

Michael Stephens has been writing for Maple Leafs Hotstove since 2010, and has featured in the 2010 and 2012 Maple Leaf Annuals. Former Editiorial Intern at The Hockey News. Undergraduate degree from the University of Windsor. Chat me up about all things hockey on twitter @MLHS_Mike